Into the Darkness
by GhostDog401
Summary: When the decision comes down to Wirt's own life or his brother's, there is no decision at all, because sometimes even cowards can be heroes (Excerpt: "Very well," a wave of his hand and the branches begin to snap and die around Greg. "Your brother is free, but you boy," his grip tightens on Wirt's shoulders. "You are mine.")


**Into the Darkness**

**Characters: **Wirt, The Beast, Greg, Beatrice  
><strong>~Pairings: <strong>Hinted Wirt/Beatrice_  
><em>**Word Count: **1,197  
><strong>Note: <strong>In this Wirt is 17 and Greg is 8

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><p><strong>For <strong>**_always_smile (on Instagram) who drew me a picture in exchange for this fic :)**

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><p>"You can have my soul!" Wirt all, but screams out."I know that you can do it!I know that you did it with Greg!"<p>

"But why would I want _your_ soul?" The Beast purrs, his eyes brighten with the words. "Your soul is tainted and dying, while your brother's gleams with life and light." A low grumbling laugh, "That hardly seems like a fair trade, does it?"

"Please," Wirt begs. "_Please_, you did it before."

"Yes as you have said and again I ask why should I? A great soul for a terrible one, that is hardly profitably."

Behind him his brother coughs and he can hear Beatrice frantically telling him to stay awake, her own voice shuttering with the cold.

"Because," Wirt begins, trying desperately to find a reason. "Because I can't let him die and that has to count for something."

The Beast prowls across the shadows, his eyes looking over Wirt in interest, "As yes of course, I can see it now. Your soul is one of a hero, bold and courageous, but it also carries the hints of a coward. For there is _so_ much fear in you, so much courage but so much fear. It's an interesting combination to say the least." The Beast stops and stretches out a waving hand, motioning Wirt forward, "Step closer boy, I wish to have a better look, but leave the lantern."

Nervously Wirt sets the lantern down in the snow and steps out of its light and into the shadows.

The poetic side of his mind thinks that there might be some sort of symbolism in that, but he isn't eager to find. Instead he silently steps up to the Beast and allows the monster's long fingers to grasp onto his arm.

"Yes," the shadow purrs. "Yes the soul of a hero. A fine soul, a worthy soul, you shall do nicely, wonderfully." The eyes gleam and the Beast prompts, "I will accept your trade, you for your brother. Do you agree?"

Hesitantly Wirt glances over at his brother and then back at the monster. He's scared, he's always scared, but Greg is _dying _and he _needs _to save him, so he pushes back his fears and stands up straight.

"Yes," he says boldly and the Beast laughs, cold and dark.

"Very well," a wave of his hand and the branches begin to snap and die around Greg. "Your brother is free, but you boy," his grip tightens on Wirt's shoulders. "_You are mine_."

Wirt gulps and pales.

"Now go fetch my lantern and we will finish what has been started."

The grip releases Wirt and he stumbles back into the clearing, drinking up the light of the lantern as if it is water.

"What have you done?" The Woodsman gasps from his position in the snow. "What have you done?"

Wirt sets his mouth in a thin line, "I just saved my brother," He says, "And now—" He breathes in a deep, shuttering, breath. "And now I'm going to say good-bye."

Softly he walks across the snow, lantern in hand, before coming to stop next to the tree stump.

Carefully he pulls the remaining branches away from Greg, before pulling his brother from his rotting stump. He hugs Greg close, gently cradling the small boy in his arms.

"Wirt?" The boy gasps.

"I'm here," Wirt feels tears coming to his eyes. "I'm here. You're going to be fine."

"Knew you'd save me," the boy mumbles and his eyes close again, his body going limp against Wirt's.

Wirt carefully takes his cloak off his shoulders and wraps the small child in it, cradling the boy as if he were three instead of eight.

Then he turns to Beatrice, "I need you to carry him." He tells her.

Beatrice stares at him, "What? Why? And How? I mean I'm not sure if you looked at me recently, but I am missing both the arms and the size to do so."

Wirt reaches into his pocket and carefully pulls out the antique scissors, "Here, land I'll cut off your wings."

"Are those the—?

"Yes, now _land_," it's almost an order now, one made out of desperation and fear.

Carefully Beatrice lands on the ground and outstretches her wings. Wirt places the blades along the familiar blue wings and hesitates.

"Are you sure this will work?" He asks and Beatrice nods.

"Of course."

Wirt squeezes, there's a soft snip and a loud gasp from Beatrice as a gulf of light inflates around her and then disappears, leaving in its place a young girl.

"Beatrice?" Wirt asks hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the girl says sharply. "You know how I just love face planting into the snow."

Wirt laughs, happy that his friend's attitude hadn't changed with her body.

"Now you can take him, can't you?" He asks and Beatrice turns as she hesitantly stands up.

"Yeah," she mumbles. "Yeah I think I can, just give me a moment to find my balance."

A moment later Greg is wrapped up safely in her arms and she stares at Wirt, "You never did tell me why I had to take him home." Beatrice said, "I mean you know the way better than I do."

Wirt evades her eyes and his hands grasp the lantern's handle, "I can't leave." He tells her softly, almost ashamedly. "I'm not allowed to anymore."

Beatrice's eyes widen and she stares at her friend in horror, "Wirt, what did you do?"

"What I had to," he tells her. "Now _please _just go."

There are tears in her eyes now and Wirt panics, he hadn't meant to make her cry.

"Please don't cry," he begs her. "Please I didn't mean to, I just had to—"He can feel his own tears now, wet against his checks. Tears of frustration and fear, "Please just go."

A warm hand touches his cheek as Beatrice cradles it softly, "You are either very brave," she tells him, "Or very stupid."

And Wirt smiles softly, "Thanks."

She smiles back and the hand pulls away, he misses it, the warmth, the touch.

"I'll make sure he gets back safely," Beatrice promises. "And then I'm going to make sure that you're safe too, you wonderful mistake of nature."

Wirt almost laughs, but it gets stuck in his throat halfway up and comes out more like a sob.

Then with one last sad look she turns around and Wirt watches as she retreats out the clearing and into the woods, carrying away his brother and his hope.

Once she's gone his whole body deflates, as his courage rushes out of him and his shoulders sag with a weight that is no longer being held up by adrenaline.

And then the hand falls upon his shoulder, a cold hand, a sharp hand, nothing like Beatrice's warm, soft one, and Wirt's whole body stiffens in terror.

"Come," a voice rumbles and Wirt looks up to see the Beast. "There is much for you to learn and much for you to do."

And so Wirt is guided away from his life and into the darkness that awaits him.

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><p><strong>So she wanted an AU where Wirt stays in the Unknown with the Beast, so here's a what if fic where I throw canon completely to the wind<strong>

**I may write a short sequel to this, but I'm not quite sure where I want this AU to go so we'll have to see...**

**Also if you want to see the small sketch I drew to go along with this story it's on my instragram :)**

**Anyways I hope that ****_always_smile liked this and you guys should go check out her instagram, because her art is AMAZING**

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><p><strong>In other news, I'm so sorry about lack of updates with my other stories finals have been insane and I'm just trying to get through life, updates should return to normal shortly if everything goes according to plan<strong>

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><p><strong>Please Review<strong>


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